New Annuals - "Confessor"

Download: Annuals - "Confessor"

Although North Carolina-based sextet Annuals posted this song on their MySpace page a little while back, it has only recently become available as an actual download. The track, "Confessor", is taken from their highly anticipated sophomore release, Such Fun. Annuals are one of the original hype blog bands, so, naturally, all eyes are on album number two to see what it will be capable of.

"Confessor" has some nice textures, which is to be expected from this band, and harmonies perfect for a sunny day, which is also to be expected. However, I think this song suffers from its brevity. After a nifty transition (there's a lovely, waterfall-like piano line in the background), the song kind of just comes to a close. There's no discernible melody to get around. Usually, these types of songs have to grow on you, which "Confessor" might do. But for now, the track feels anti-climatic--strange, given the fact that "Brother" was nothing but glorious catharsis.

Listen to "Confessor" at the top of the post.

(Jonathan Graef)

Tours: Minus The Bear and Annuals

(Annuals)


(Minus The Bear)
Download: Minus the Bear - "Throwin' Shapes"
Download: Annuals - "Nah Keseyi"
Download: Themes - "Epic World"

On the local front, Themes will be joinging both bands for a stretch of the tour. Check it out below:

9/1 -- Seattle, WA -- Bumbershoot
10/8 -- Spokane, WA -- Service Station*#
10/9 -- Missoula, MT -- The Other Side*#
10/11 -- Englewood, CO -- Gothic Theatre*#
10/12 -- Omaha, NE -- Slowdown*#
10/13 -- Iowa City, IA -- The Picador*#
10/15 -- Minneapolis, MN -- Varsity Theatre*#
10/16 -- Milwaukee, WI -- Turner Hall*#
10/17 -- Chicago, IL -- The Vic Theatre*#
10/18 -- Columbus, OH -- Newport Music Hall*#
10/19 -- Detroit, MI -- Majestic Theatre Center*#
10/20 -- Cleveland, OH -- Grog Shop$
10/21 -- Boston, MA -- Wilbur Theatre*^
10/22 -- Washington, DC -- 930 Club*^
10/23 -- Philadelphiaq, PA -- Theatre of Living Arts*^
10/24 -- Providence, RI -- Lupo's at the Strand*^
10/25 -- New York, NY -- Webster Hall*^
10/26 -- Sayreville, NJ -- Starland Ballroom*^
10/28 -- Richmond, VA -- The National*^
10/29 -- Raleigh, NC -- Lincoln Theatre*^
10/30 -- Asheville, NC -- The Orange Peel*^
10/31 --Knoxville, TN -- Bijou Theatre*^
11/1 -- Atlanta, GA -- Variety Playhouse*^
11/3 -- Ft. Lauderdale, FL -- Revolution*!
11/4 -- Lake Buena, FL -- House of Blues*!
11/5 -- Jacksonville, FL -- Free Bird café*!
11/7 -- New Orleans, LA -- House of Blues*!
11/8 -- Houston, TX -- House of Blues*!
11/9 -- Austin, TX -- Waterloo Park*!
11/10 -- Dallas, TX -- House of Blues*!
11/12 -- Santa Fe, NM -- TBA
11/13 -- Tempe, AZ -- Marquee Theatre*!
11/14 -- San Diego, CA -- Soma*@
11/15 -- Pomona, CA -- Glass House*@
11/16 -- Los Angeles, CA -- Henry Fonda Theatre*@
11/18 -- Sacramento, CA -- Empire*@
11/19 -- San Francisco, CA -- Bimbos*@
*w/ Annuals
#w/ Themes
$ w/ The New Year
^ w/ Sylvie
! W/27
@ w/ Helms Alee

(Jonathan Graef)

New Video: Annuals - "Dry Clothes"

Download: Annuals - "Dry Clothes"

Annuals sunshiney, happy version of psychedelia makes one long for the days of summer, where a breeze doesn't send shivers down your spine. In watching the North Carolina-based sextet's new video for Be He Me track "Dry Clothes" (what, no vids for Frehlen Mas material?), one can't help but not feel envious of reptilian creatures so inspired by the nice weather that they run back toward land in order to enjoy human pleasures like sittin' and love at first sight. Who said that animated inter-species erotica can't be hot? YOWZAA!

Ah, but alas, the sad, surreal ending proves that while you might be able to take the crocodile out of the lake, you can't necessarily change the croc's carnivorous ways. The video was conceived by band member Zack Oden and animated by Trunk Animation.

No live dates, other than a hometown gig at the Brewery and Coachella. Presumably, the band will be spending their time on their second LP, which will be their first for Sony.

Be He Me is out now on Ace Fu.

Annuals MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

Tonight: Annuals and Manchester Orchestra At The Varsity Theater

Annuals


(Photo by Sarah Wilmer)

Manchester Orchestra


(Photo by Autumn DeWilde)

Download: Annuals - "Nah Keseyi"
Download: Annuals - "Brother"
Download: Manchester Orchestra - "Brother"
Download: Manchester Orchestra - "Where Have You Been?"
Download: Annuals - "Where Have You Been?"

Annuals and Manchester Orchestra play an all-ages show tonight at the Varsity Theater. Annuals are still going strong behind last year's Be He Me and yesterday released an digital-only 8 song EP of b-sides and covers titled Frehlen Mas. That means you're going to have to buy that bad boy either through iTunes or the Ace Fu website. For those of you who adored Be He Me can feel the same fluttering feelings as you listen to Frehlen Mas, as the EP has more than enough of the romantic, swirling psychedelic sound that we've all come to know and love.

Meanwhile, Manchester Orchestra are having quite the year, what with having put out I'm A Virgin Losing A Child earlier this summer and currently riding high on the Elbows track charts with their cover of "Brother" by...you guessed it. Frank Stallone. Er, I mean Annuals. Their cover of the Annuals' song is from the split 7" that is being sold on the tour, in which the touring mates covering each other's jams. For Manchestra Orchestra, it's the aforementioned "Brother". For Annuals, it's covering "Where Have You Been?". You can find both originals and the covers at the top of this post.

The show starts at 6 p.m. and tickets are ten dollars. Those can be bought either at the venue or here.

Manchester Orchestra MySpace Page
Annuals MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

New Annuals - "Nah Keyseyi"

(Photo by Sarah Wilmer)

Download: Annuals - "Nah Keseyi"

Annuals have a digital-only EP called Frelen Mas coming out a week from today (Nov. 6th). The record is a collection of 8 B-Sides from the Be He Me sessions. Earlier in the year, the North Carolina sextet posted their cover of the standard spiritual "Sweet Low, Sweet Chariot". Last night, the band posted a new MP3 from the set. The track is called "Nah Keyseyi" and it's a great example of the kind of accessible genre-experimentation that the band does best.

With regard to "Nah Keyseyi", the genres are world music, country-western, alt-rock and marching band. The track begins with some atonal sound collages before settling into Adam Baker's chants of the title, under slide pedal guitar. From there, Annuals settle into rat-a-tat horns and a driving two-step beat, along with the layered production that characterized Be He Me songs like "Dry Clothes". Ultimately, "Nah Keyseyi" sounds like something Devendra Banhart might have written for his high school pep rally.

You can listen to the song at the top of this post or at the band's
MySpace Page. Furthermore, Annuals will be playing the Varsity Theater in Minneapolis with touring pals Manchester Orchestra on Nov. 7th. The show is all-ages and starts at 6:30. Tickets can be bought here

MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)